Five turnovers overshadowed Buffalo’s undefeated start, forcing Josh Allen and Joe Brady to address critical ball security issues that threaten to derail their winning streak moving forward.
The Buffalo Bills are 3-0, but Josh Allen knows there are plenty of reasons for concern after Sunday's 24-16 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers.
Buffalo turned the ball over five times, repeatedly putting itself in difficult situations and giving the Chargers opportunities to take control of the game. The Bills ultimately found a way to win, but Allen made it clear afterward that the performance came with plenty of warning signs.
“Overall, I mean, again, we win. But a lot of smoke detectors going off right now,” Allen said. “We got to clean a lot of stuff up.”
That wasn't simply frustration from Buffalo's quarterback. Head coach Joe Brady used the same “smoke detectors” terminology when discussing the team's ball security, saying the issues were things the Bills had already identified before they showed up against Los Angeles.
“I talk about the smoke detectors all along,” Brady said. “Just because we get up with the ball doesn't mean it was right. It showed its head today, and that's going to get you beat, right?”
Brady was also unwilling to let the Bills' 3-0 record obscure what happened against the Chargers.
“We can't just gloss over this because we won the football game and be like, hey, you know what? We won. Let's keep it moving,” Brady said. “Like, no, no, that's going to get you beat.”
That accountability extended to Brady himself. The first-year head coach said the problems showing up on tape are ultimately a reflection of him and that he needs to do a better job of putting the Bills in a position to succeed.
“I have to call a better game, put the ball, put them in a better position to have success,” Brady said. “And when the ball's in their hands, trust them.”
Allen also acknowledged just how difficult it was for Buffalo to win while turning the ball over so frequently. Despite the mistakes, the Bills were tied at halftime, and their defense continued to give the offense opportunities.
“Sitting there to be tied at halftime felt like a dream, to be honest,” Allen said. “But our defense played fantastic.”
For Brady, that ability to overcome the mistakes was meaningful, even if the mistakes themselves cannot be ignored.
“And the fact that we were able to still find ways to win football games speaks to the character in that locker room and the guys not pointing fingers and staying together and just continue to put the ball down,” Brady said. “So it's never easy to win in this league. I'm never going to apologize for winning.”
The Bills are 3-0, and that's ultimately what matters in the standings. But both Allen and Brady made it clear Sunday that Buffalo has plenty of smoke detectors going off, and the team can't afford to ignore them simply because it keeps finding ways to win.
Up next is the first divisional game of the season as the 1-2 New England Patriots come to town. That game will air at 1pm ET on CBS Sports.
